page_title: Omega Electroquartz
section_title: Further developments
hierarchical_section_title: Omega Electroquartz / Further developments
caption_attribution_description: English: Electroquartz 2nd generation 18-carat gold
context_page_description: The Omega Electroquartz was introduced in 1969 as the first production Swiss quartz watch. It was the collaboration of 20 Swiss watch companies and the movement was utilised by Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Omega SA amongst others. The Beta 21 movement used in the Electroquartz was accurate to 5 seconds per month, far better than any automatic or manual wind movement of the day.
context_section_description: According to records between 1972 and 1974 50,000 beta 22s were produced  (Omega's calibres were 1301 and 1302), although only a tiny number of these appear to have ever made it to production watches based on the availability of used examples now. The beta 22 was a development of the beta 21 available in date and non date models with refined quartz circuits.
  Rolex and Patek Philippe as well as IWC and Piaget (amongst others in the original group) produced very small numbers of beta 21/22 watches and towards the mid part of the 1970s all were moving away from the beta 21/22 movement (because of their cost, including the massive R&D costs) and towards more modern quartz technology, including Rolex developing their own in house Oysterquartz movement, which remained in production from 1977 until 2001.
  Omega SA made the most use of the beta 21 and beta 22 calibre and kept it in their range of watches until circa 1977.  Throughout this period of time Omega produced a number of variations of the Electroquartz Constellation wristwatch, most famously the pupitre but also in a rectangular case in Stainless steel as well as other date and non date models.
  Omega's experimentation with case design throughout the 1970s was never more obvious than in the Electroquartz range of watches, there were numerous case executions, many of the later calibre 1301 and 1302 examples being made in 18-carat yellow or white gold. Omega's range of watches during the 1970s was extensive and included usually three or four Electroquartz variations every year, although they competed with the wider range of Omega products including other quartz watches like the Megaquartz series, the majority of them were precious metal and as such were priced towards the very top end of the Omega line up. The pictured 18-carat non date example sold, when new in 1974, for £2,006, by contrast Omegas then flagship chronograph, the limited edition Speedmaster 125 sold for £186.50.
caption: Electroquartz 2nd generation 18-carat gold
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